Greater Toulouse, in Midi-Pyrénées, counts more than 850, 000 inhabitants.

Known as  " la Ville Rose " (for the color of brick and clay, the traditional construction materials), it is the cultural, economic and historical capital of Haute-Garonne.

It aggregates a great number of industries in a variety of fields like aeronautics, data information and aerospace and, as such, has become a major European science and technology hub. French third university center with more than 97, 000 students in 2012, Toulouse has been nominated "best student city in France" for the second year in row.

It features high quality cultural venues, such as the Abattoirs Contemporary and Modern Art museum, the José-Cabanis multimedia library, the Zénith, the Théâtre national de Toulouse (National Theater) or the Cité de l'Espace (Space adventure park).

The violet  is one of the prizes awarded by the Toulouse Académie des jeux floraux( the Academy of Floral  Games); the city used to be called "Cité mondine" (la Ciutat mondina in the Occitan language).

More Info on Toulouse

Museums

• Museum d'histoire naturelle de Toulouse Anthropology, Prehistory, Natural Sciences
• Musée des Augustins, musée des Beaux Arts Fine Arts
• Les Abattoirs,  Contemporary and Modern Art museum Contemporary and Modern Art
• Musée Saint Raymond Archeology

Sites and monuments

• Le Capitole (City Hall)
• Saint Sernin Basilica
• The old bridges toulouse (Toulouse oldest bridges)
• Ensemble conventuel des Jacobins (The Jacobins church and convent)
• Jardin des Plantes (Botanical gardens)
• Prairie des Filtres (River Garonne embankments)